Ticket price will be EUR 1.15 in kiosks and EUR 2 when buying from the driver. Night transport fare will also be increased to EUR 2. This will apply to shuttle-buses going from Central Station, as reported by Rīgas satiksme.

The same e-talon will be allowed to be used in Rīgas satiksme’s public transports and Rīgas Mikroautobusu satiksme’s shuttle-buses. Current discounts for specific numbers of trips (10, 20 and 50) will remain in force in Riga.

Pre-school children will be carried free of charge, invalids of I and II category, invalids under the age of 18 and persons accompanying persons with disabilities.

Rīgas Mikroautobusu satiksme explains that when residents buy tickets from drivers, it reduces the amount of cash in circulation. With an increased number of e-talons in use there will be better traffic security, because bus drivers’ main priority is to provide save carrying of passengers. An increased number of e-talons will also make bus routes easier to manage and keep track of.

It should be added that State Auditors Elita Krumina does not have faith in justifications behind Rīgas satiksme’s decision to increase public transport fares.

In her interview to 900 seconds programme, Krumina mentioned that her opinion has formed in this way because last year’s audit in RS had failed to determine the true mechanism for the formation of public transport tariffs. She believes Transport Ministry should be more actively involved in processes that govern the development of public transport tariffs. She also reminded that last year’s audit had also revealed multiple flaws in procurement processes, including the signing of service contracts with members of the board. The only response SA has received from RS in regard to proposed recommendations is that documents have been received. Riga City Council’s representative in RS has said that proposals have only been discussed, nothing more.

Krumina believes that RS should have performed a full assessment of responsibility of its officials in regard to the uncovered flaws, which has yet to be performed. Environmental Protection and Regional Development Minister Kaspars Gerhards has asked RS to perform this assessment.

BNN had previously reported that new public transport fares will come into force in Riga in February. The cost of a single trip will cost EUR 1.15.

Riga City Council notes that this decision has been made because the government has not agreed to cooperate with Riga City Council to finance public transport service in the capital and because authorities have refused to allow the introduction of differentiated public transport fares for residents and non-residents of Riga.

Riga City Council has no means to continue compensating Rīgas satiksme’s established tariff of EUR 0.60 for all passengers. The EUR 0.50 tariff was a temporary solution employed in 2014.

In accordance with requirements set by the Cabinet of Ministers, and expected changes in the number of passengers and costs of different resources, Rīgas satiksme has performed a full recalculation of passenger-carrying costs for public transport in the capital for 2015. Now it is EUR 1.175 per capita, which is lower than the previous EUR 1.20.

Considering that the calculated tariff – EUR 1.175 – creates complications and technical inconveniences, it has been decided to set the price at EUR 1.15.

Data compiled by International Data Corporation shows: every third illegally downloaded software programme is infected with malicious software. Nevertheless, 69% of consumers and 33% of businesses in Europe procure computers with software from unsafe sources.

Higher prices of oil have allowed the Russian economy to recover despite European Union's and U.S. sanctions and in time to benefit the Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has secured his next term in office.

In 2017, there were 17.0 thousand job vacancies in Latvia, which was 2.6 thousand vacancies or 17.9 % more than in 2016. In public sector there were 6.1 thousand job vacancies van in private sector 10.9 thousand vacancies.

Cosmetics producers in Latvia export products worth EUR 20 million every year. Volumes increase 5% every year. The main export partner states are located in Europe. Still, there has been a significant increase of export volumes to third countries – to some countries this increase was as large as 60% -70%, according to data from Latvian Cosmetic Manufacturers Association.

American Chamber of Commerce in Latvia (ACCL): «We are concerned that Latvian society’s and its government’s political culture has not changed much since the publication of information detailing events associated with Ridzene talks in 2009-2011. The state capture detailed there may still be possible...

On Monday, 19 March, weather in Latvia will change, as a low atmospheric pressure area together with an atmospheric front will approach the country from the north. The day will be sunny for the most part, but the amount of clouds will increase as hours go by, as reported by State Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre.

In a reaction to Russia's announcement that it would expel 23 British diplomats from Moscow as part of the UK-Russia argument over poisoning of double-agent in an English city, Ukrainian Foreign Minister has suggested to his British counterpart that the 23 diplomats could now work in Ukraine.

Aivars Lembergs, who is accused of serious crimes and is currently suspended from his post as chairman of Ventspils City Council, had proposed his candidacy for the post of prime minister of Latvia multiple times in the past. The moment has come at long last when Lembergs will not be an official candidate for the aforementioned post, as BNN was told by the leader of Union of Greens and Farmers’ Saeima faction Augusts Brigmanis.

Despite the current demanding security situation, in the NATO military alliance, no more than three member states of the European Union have reached the recommended defence spending sum in 2017 and Estonia is one of them.

Russian President Vladimir Putin been announced as the winner of the Sunday, March 18, presidential election, as the politician has pledged to devote his new term in office to strengthen Russia’s defences against the West and to improve the quality of life.

Some 5,000 people gathered outside the Lithuanian parliament in Vilnius on Thursday, March 15, to express discontent with the failed parliamentary vote to impeach MP Mindaugas Bastys and the performance of the ruling Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union.

The Legionnaires’ remembrance procession in Riga on Friday, 16 March, passed peacefully. Nevertheless, several conflicts did take place among differently-minded people near the Freedom Monument. Two individuals were arrested by police.

In Latvia, 36% of small and medium-sized companies have plans to invest in the development of their business this year. In Estonia and Lithuania, on the other hand, the proportion of businesses with development plans is 42% and 46%, respectively, according to results of a recent study performed by SEB Bank.

Russian top diplomat in the UK has envisaged on Friday, March 16, that the Kremlin would use maximum pressure on London as Moscow insists it has not been involved in the poisoning of a former Russian-British double agent with a Russian-made chemical weapon, as has been found by British investigators.

18 March 2018 will mark four years since the Russian Federation violated Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by annexing the Crimean Peninsula and causing military aggression in the country’s eastern region. With its actions the Russian Federation has violated international law and basic principles of international relation, says Latvia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Continuing the works on the Balticconnector gas pipeline between Estonia and Finland, the Estonian natural gas network company Elering has stated that around 135 million euros, including a 98-million-euro funding from the European Union, will be invested in the project.

The State Revenue Service has declined 18,000 cash registers as unfitting for requirements established by the Cabinet of Ministers. Fixing the problems found in them would cost half a million euros, as reported by LNT News.

Administrative District Court has compiled a shortened ruling, in which it rejected Latvian Anti-Nazi Committee’s application and preserved the decision imposed by Riga City acting CEO on 13 March 2018 on establishing restrictions on the planned gathering and protest act for 16 March unchanged.